As an effort towards conducting skill development programs, familiarizing engineering graduates and 10th standard pass students pursuing vocational training with the latest automotive technologies as well as imparting modern training, Amal Jyothi College of Engineering at Kanjirapally in Kottayam has collaborated with VE Commercial Vehicles Ltd. (VECV) to set up a state-of-the-art automobile lab known as Amal Jyothi – Eicher Center for Automobile Technology (AECat) at the college premises. This is the first of its kind automobile training center in Kerala run by an engineering college in association with VE Commercial Vehicles to bridge the skill gap in the automotive sector at a national level.
Mr. Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, Kerala Minister for Transport, Forests & Environment, inaugurated the center at Amal Jyothi College on May 7 in the presence of His Excellency Mar Mathew Arackal Bishop of Kanjirappally, Patron of the College, and Mr. Vinod Aggarwal, Chief Executive Officer, VE Commercial Vehicles Ltd.
In his address, Mr. Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan said: “It gives me immense pride to inaugurate Amal Jyothi-Eicher Center for Automobile Technology, the very first of its kind in Kerala. Skill development is core to any nation’s economic growth and employment generation, and an initiative like this will provide excellent avenues for the large number of school pass-outs in our country who are unable to continue further education for multiple reasons. I would like to congratulate both Amal Jyothi College of Engineering and VE Commercial Vehicles for taking a lead in this domain.”
Mr. Vinod Aggarwal observed: “Despite being one of the largest contributors to GDP and employment generation, the automotive industry is challenged with huge shortage of skilled manpower. According to industry reports, in the next 10 years there will be demand for 25 million trained manpower in the automobile sector in India. VECV strongly believes in supporting this cause and bridging the skill gap in the country. Industry-institutional tie-up is an ongoing initiative for VE Commercial Vehicles, and several such projects are underway. We hope that our initiative would help create a significant change in the lives of unemployed youth.”
According to him, VECV has established several such automobile labs in collaboration with prominent educational institutions across the country, at centers like Mysore, Ahmedabad, Howrah, Mohali, Dehradun, Vijayawada and Coimbatore.
His Excellency Mar Mathew Arackal said: “The skill development center will be a boon for the faculty and engineering students to have hands-on experience in the best-of-its-class automobile technology in the world. It also offers an excellent opportunity for scores of unemployed youth with class 10/12 education to be trained for job-oriented courses in the automobile sector.”
Rev. Dr. Jose Kannampuzha, Principal, Amal Jyothi College of Engineering, in his brief address, outlined the various key initiatives taken by the college. With world-class infrastructure facilities, the college can accommodate 2,500 students at a time, a record high in the history of Kerala. Since skill development on a massive scale in the field of automobiles is needed, the college gives top priority for the sector through its mechanical, metallurgy and welding-related courses. Its notable achievements include filing of more than 12 patents, setting up of the Driving Academy, etc.
Mr. A. Nandakumar, General Manager – Aftermarket, VECV, Pithampur, made a detailed presentation on the current Indian automotive scenario and the value of human resources.
Mr. P. Kaniappan, Managing Director, Wabco India Ltd., in his felicitation address, complimented the management of Amal Jyothi College of Engineering for its excellent infrastructural facilities and cleanliness of high standard. The Center for Automotive Technology will become a stepping stone for the college students to make bigger achievements in their future career. He also felicitated the VECV management for its commitment to skill development.
Outlining India’s strength in the automotive sector, Mr. Kaniappan said still there is immense potential for the vehicle manufacturers to tap the fastest growing market because only 15 out of 1,000 people drive cars in India as against 400 out of 1,000 elsewhere. The country has already gone global, and many companies are raising the bar on the quality standard. India has also emerged as a talent pool for the world. To maintain the low cost of production, India’s frugal engineering helps automobile manufacturers a lot.
Prof. K. Vijayan, Head, Department of Automobile Engineering, Amal Jyothi College of Engineering, who is instrumental in setting up the Amal Jyothi – Eicher Center for Automobile Technology (AECat), thanked all those who supported the key initiative in establishing a dedicated facility. He also urged the Wabco management to come forward and set up its lab.
The driving force
Mr. A. Nandakumar, General Manager – Aftermarket, VECV, has been the driving force behind the establishment of the Amal Jyothi – Eicher Center for Automobile Technology (AECat) in Kerala. He is also instrumental in setting up similar centers in other parts of the country, and played a key role in VECV taking different service-related initiatives.
Very humble and honest by nature, Mr. Nandakumar believes in action rather than words. Several educational institutions in the country have opted for collaboration with VECV mainly due to his expert technical knowledge and his dedication to the job he undertakes with a sense of responsibility.
Media Partner: MOTORINDIA